The Brookside Condominiums make up one of the sub-homeowner associations (HOAs) in the 55-plus community of Summerfield in Tigard, and a couple of years ago its Board of Directors became aware of the deteriorating condition of the units.
The board embarked on a multi-million-dollar project to fix the issues, which led Brookside to win the Community Associations Institute’s Western Oregon Chapter’s 2021 Association of the Year Award in the medium-size category.
CMI Community Management, which helps the board run the 63-unit complex, submitted Brookside for the award unbeknownst to the board. But even more important than the award was upgrading the buildings to a superior standard using high-quality materials to ensure long-lasting results.
The buildings were literally falling apart, according to Maureen Murphy, chair of the Board of Directors during the entire process, and board Director of Maintenance Sukulina Dasi. The siding was deteriorating, decks had holes in them, railings were rotting, and windows were not well-insulated, to name a few of the problems. Closer inspection revealed that single-wall construction had been used instead of utilizing plywood sheathing that provides structural integrity, and perhaps most surprising was that foil-wrapped cardboard was used in place of insulation.
After the board held an informational meeting for all the residents in the spring of 2021, it voted to proceed with the approximately $2.8 million project. Instead of raising the monthly dues over a 10-year period, the board approved serial assessments for the property owners/residents that ranged from $38,000 to $55,000 based on square footage. The board also secured a business loan from Riverview Community Bank and gave the homeowners three months to secure personal loans or get 15-year loans through the HOA at 4.4 percent interest.
The board worked with Brian Hughes at Summit Reconstruction and Restoration, which was the general contractor, and they also used the services of Certa Building Consultants, working with Justin Barnhart. Board Member/Landscape Chair Janet Johnson had the difficult job of protecting the landscaping around the buildings during construction, including having some of it temporarily relocated.
The majority of the construction took place in 2021 between summer and December. The condos previously looked very similar to the Summerfield Apartments next door, but now they stand out with their stately gray paint and wrought-iron railings around the decks.
According to Murphy, Brookside started 2022 with healthy reserves that are 95-percent funded and with money available for other projects. And the monthly dues went down by 25 percent this year.
“(These) huge projects can be successfully accomplished, increasing the units’ value and leaving the homeowners pleased with the results,” Murphy said.
